Pressure
by Dak
Summary: Everyone has problems. But how do two unlikely, not to mention reluctant, friends cope with the extreme pressures of an unforgiving and demanding society? MultiChap TatsukixChizuru
1. Abuse In Two Very Different Forms

**Well, as i said before, due to the complete lack of TatsukixChizuru fanfics, I have written/started a new one!**

**This will be a multi chapter story, and i guess it is slightly AU-ish... not really, I mean, it depends on what you think Bleach characters do in there 'free time'. Considering they don't really show interaction between Ichigo/Rukia's friends and the other kids at school, or where they stand, or what happens to non soul reaper/ magical-ish power people. Anywho, I'm babbling, like usual, so without further ado, here is the first chapter!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned bleach, there would be a lot more relationships/ girlxgirl. Sadly, I don't, so you'll have to just read these random fics to see my inner thoughts.**

**oh, before i forget. I am currently in the process of writting a MS ff, so I'm hoping to update this story atleast once a week, but to be more realistic, I would probably have to say it's gonna be between 1-2 weeks per update.**

* * *

She had been waiting at the bus stop when it happened.

After a long day at Karakura High School, the red haired Chizuru Honsho had trudged down the necessary blocks to reach the stop, swinging her small, black back unenthusiastically. Looking around, the only sights to grace her vision happened to be disgusting, shady alleyways, dimly lit apartment entrances and scum filled gutters.

She sighed half-heartedly, disappointed in the area she was forced to walk to, the wait that was soon to follow, and, most importantly, the first day of her second year of school. After ambling along the bedraggled sidewalks for another ten minutes, the silver-eyed girl plopped down on the vacant, designated, waiting bench. She closed her eyes, taking her gray jacket off and placing it neatly folded into her bag. Falling back into an old habit, she removed her red rimmed glasses from her delicate nose and delicately cleaned them with a small, gray, silk handkerchief she usually carried in her pocket.

School hadn't changed one bit, much to her displeasure. Disgusted stares, nervous freshman whispers, rude girls, well not so much girls as bitches, random and not so subtle pushes, shoves, and kicks in crowded halls were all included in the first day of school checklist. She was lost in thought as she replayed the dull, and somewhat painful, day in her head, absently spinning her glasses between her fingers, missing the footsteps which approached in a rather hurried manor.

By the time she snapped out of her daze, she had been surrounded by three young boys. Vaguely familiar simple white shirts with loosened navy blue ties were all her hindered vision could spot. Chizuru was pulled from her peaceful resting spot and roughly shoved into a dimly lit alley. It was nearly four in the afternoon, and all the inhabitants of the run down buildings and living quarters where either out to work, or sleeping to prepare for their 'night customers.'

She heard her mothers scolding words of walking in such a "distasteful" neighborhood. Yet there was no offer of a ride, she thought ruefully. The red haired girl inconspicuously slid her glasses into her bag which felt from her grasp, and into a safe nook in the wall, as the beating started.

Much to her pleasure or dismay, the irritating voice of her mother was soon replaced by a ringing noise in her head she knew all too well…

_Thu__d_

She hit the ground, hard. The three uniformed boys looked down, disgust, disdain and anger clearly marking their normally handsome faces. She knew now all too well were those outfits had come from.

Karakura standard issue was hard to miss or confuse, even in her visually impaired state. She saw a tuff of orange hair and almost let a gasp escape. Thankfully, she held it back, knowing that that one slip up would only increase the boys' pleasure in the brutal attack she was receiving, and perhaps even making the kicks and punches come with more strength and passion. That was the last thing she needed.

She looked back at the carrot top youth and noticed the mop on top of his head was dyed. For some small reason she took pleasure in knowing it was not Ichigo, but the annoying look-a-like Reiichi. She had thought her distant friendship with Ichigo would prevent him from doing anything like this, and it seemed she was right, for now at least. The other two raven haired boys were nameless in her eyes, part of the semi-popular crowd which followed Ichigo's around like wide eyed puppies.

It was actually kind of amusing how much the losers before her begged for acceptance, but like usual the Kurosaki crowd remained aloof. It was ironic, how these boys craved acceptance, a feeling she was struck with at least once each day. She briefly wondered in between strikes what Ichigo and his friends would think about these pathetic boys if they saw what they were doing now.

The Kurosaki crowd would never find out, though. Not even Chizuru would be able to withstand the hurt if the group had approved of these unspeakable actions.

_Kick_

It hurt, it always had. For at least a year now, she had been learning to find different ways to deal with the pain. One of the numerous things she had learnt was to protect her most vulnerable points. The victim brought one hand up to cover her head. The other went further down to cover her kidney region. She braced her body for the nociceptive pain she knew would increase in due time. The red haired girl silently thanked the Gods they had never tried to rape her.

_Pull_

She closed her eyes, whispering to herself, waiting for the pain to cease. Whether she passed out, or the boys ran away, it would eventually stop. Dirt smeared her unusually colored red hair, small pebbles littered throughout it already. She could feel the gritty muck without having to run her hands through it, knowing it would take at least double the normal amount of shampoo just to get it back to decently clean. Her usually immaculate school uniform was in a state of disarray. The red bow which usually lay under her neck was untied and halfway around her shoulder. Her skirt was almost unrecognizable. Her gray outer shirt had been discarded in her bag earlier. The normally white undershirt was splotched with blood, grime, and sweat. But not tears, never tears.

_Throw_

Her body hit the floor once more. Chizuru bit her bottom lip, drawing even more of her own blood, as the world began to spin uncontrollably around her. She sighed, finally letting the noise escape her bleeding form. A ghost of a smile played on her lips as the darkness overtook her senses, leaving her in a dark, peaceful slumber.

_Crash._

_

* * *

__Forty-four, forty-five, forty-six, forty-seven…_

"Tatsuki-Sama?"

_Forty-eight, forty-nine, fifty!_

The jet black haired girl rose quickly from the floor after completing her push-ups. She was wearing a simple white shirt, just loose enough to have complete control of her movements. A pair of royal blue shorts went down to her knees, and she was barefoot at the moment. Strapped around her ankles, calves, wrists, forearms and shoulders were extremely heavy, but surprisingly tiny weights. They had been special ordered, and Tatsuki was still paying for them. But, to our karate enthusiast, it was well worth the price.

While her outfit did nothing to compliment her usually hidden curves, it did expose her sleek, solid arms, smooth, toned legs, and her slim, well muscled stomach. She wiped at the thin layer of sweat forming above her brown/hazel eyes, and she furrowed her eyebrows in mock frustration.

"What's up, Saki-Chan? And stop calling me that! You're older then me. Besides, I've known you since… since before I started karate!"

The older girl chuckled, playing with her shoulder length brown hair. Her coal black eyes held a twinkle of amusement.

"But _Arisawa-Sen__-__s__eeeeee__e__iiiii__i_, I must address my superiors with only the upmost respect."

Sakiko replied with a look of indignation on her face, stressing the drastically formal name.

Tatsuki mock growled and charged at her friend, thumping her over the head when she found a hole in her guard.

"You always drop your left arm, Saki-Chan, no wonder they made me captain instead of-"

Saki retaliated in the blink of an eye, sweeping Tatsuki's feet out from under her. The fallen girl lay silent for a minute before erupting with laughter as her childhood friend helped her up.

"I don't know why they decided to put me in charge of all this," Tatsuki mumbled, showing uncertainty, which was rare to her character.

"Its cause your amazing Tatsuki-chan. You nearly defeated that… beast of a girl with only _one_ arm! They wouldn't have put you in charge of the dojo if you didn't deserve it, or couldn't handle it. Now, see that crowd over there?"

"Ya…"

"That's the new hopefuls."

"And?" It took a minute for the information to click. Tatsuki looked at her old friend with mortification.

"No… You don't mean I have to…?"

"Why of course, Captain-Sama, we need your unyielding strength and will of fire," She repeated with a solemn look. "But seriously Ta-chan, it's your job, most of them are here to see you anyway."

"Why me?" Tatsuki scanned the room, looking bak and forth. Sakiko laughed at her friends modesty.

"Ta-chan! Don't act so humble all the time. A lot of people look forward to meeting or even training with you. You're a semi-legend around here."

"Why?" she asked, baffled even further.

"You're a role model to some of them. They see you making a successful career doing something you love, while making it look fun. Some of those squirts will be envious and downright catty. Just try not to let it get ta' ya."

"If you say so…" The spiky raven mumbled dubiously

"Now get over there!" Saki pushed her forward a little, taking a spot behind the captain of the Karate club.

Tatsuki walked over to stand behind her friends and elders, facing toward the crowd. It was a mixed group, full of tall and short, thick and bone thin, blonde haired to midnight black.

"Arisawa-Sama?" A young girl asked meekly. She had long black hair and crystal green eyes.

"Ya?" Tatsuki grunted in her direction, not unkindly.

"Isn't it time for the meeting to start?"

Tatsuki was crowded by a large group of younger girls and boys, looking at her with hopeful eyes, at least thirty of each gender.

_Ugh_, she silently complained while standing up, _I hate this talking stuff_

"Ohayo. I am Arisawa Tatsuki, captain of the vale tudo karate club. If you are in the wrong place, now would be a good time to leave."

She shrugged noncommittally at the door. No one had moved. She grunted again, running a hand through her short spiky black hair. Her big eyes swept through the group again. They all seemed eager for her to continue her speech.

"This is a serious club. No horseplay will be permitted in the dojo. Everyone got that? If I catch you messing around, you'll be outta here."

Most of the youngsters nodded, a solemn look on their faces. She inwardly sighed. Tatsuki had a sinking feeling in her gut that some had joined just to watch her practice. No, Tatsuki was not a cocky person, quite the opposite actually, but after her speech with Suki-Chan, she could see a group of boys which followed her shadows during school constantly. There were even some girls in the group, and as Tatsuki scoured the crowd again, she could pick them out.

"We will start each day by changing into appropriate fighting clothes," she nodded to the group of advanced members behind her.

"When we start normal practices, we meet in this dojo at three P.M. sharp, and start our stretching. After that, depending on the day, everyone will either practice techniques, sparring, self defense techniques, weapons combat, or numerous other fighting styles. I hope all of you make it, and wish you all luck, but in reality around half of you will actually stay committed to the team. It takes a lot of self sacrifice and practice to become a true karate champion.

If you have a question, or need help with anything, ask me personally, or any other of the students standing behind me for help. Do not hesitate to ask, you will not learn otherwise. And that's what I am, and you all are here for. To learn and better yourself."

Tatsuki's usually rough eyes softened at the paragraph. Her mouth stretched into her genuine lazy smile. No one liked sensei that would refuse to teach or help. She had been in a similar situation in the past, and it had ended unpleasantly, so she had pledged to always help those in need. That was one of the reasons she was elected captain in the first place, not that Tatsuki would see it like that. In her eyes, she was just helping the younger and weaker, nothing worthy of praise.

"We will start out conditioning tomorrow. Conditioning practices are different then normal. We won't be fighting or learning new maneuvers, but training our bodies so that we can be up to the task. Conditioning is not optional. If you don't come to conditioning, don't bother showing up at the dojo for practice. You squirts gotta earn your sparring time."

She flashed her second favorite expression, a wry smile accompanied by sparkling hazel eyes, dancing with laughter.

"Meet in here at three, but remember to bring your running shoes. Tomorrow will be stamina and endurance and all that other fun stuff."

She heard numerous groans from her new students.

"How do you expect to fight if you can't keep up?" she asked reasonably.

"I don't need conditioning," a young girl snarled. She had dyed blonde hair, dull brown eyes, and a self assured personality.

"What is your name?" Tatsuki asked lazily, waving her hand in the girl's general direction.

"Kimera Kanako."

"Well, Kimera-kun, how many miles can you run without stopping? How many push-ups can your body handles before you collapse? Pull-ups?"

"Enough," the young prideful girl answered snidely, pride overflowing from her stance and words.

Tatsuki visibly shook her head. This girl needed to be taken down a peg, or twelve.

"Hit me," Tatsuki stated coolly, ignoring the girl's cocky demeanor.

"Hit you?"

"If you can score a blow on me, you can skip every conditioning and will be guaranteed a spot on the A team this year."

A murmur of surprise went through the Senpais. Saki just shook her head,

"Just trust her."

Tatsuki went to go unbuckle her leg weights, looked back at her blonde haired opponent, and decided against it.

"You're going to regret that," Kimera snarled. Tatsuki just set her level gaze at the younger girl, body preparing for the upcoming spar. Adrenaline pumped through her veins. Tatsuki felt an icy numbness float through her body, her muscles felt loose and ready to go. The Karate expert set into her normal state of thinking, a one track mind. All of her worries, doubts, concerns of the past, present and future was gone, they floated effortlessly from her mind, her body. Any sore or aching muscle and joint felt light as a feather. Her eyes set in determination.

The two opponents circled each other, angry brown eyes meeting concentrated hazel ones. The fake blonde lunged lashing out on Tatsuki's location. Only, Tatsuki wasn't there anymore, and she quickly slid behind the girl, pushing her off balance with two fingers. The duel continued like this for five minutes, Tatsuki refusing to do anything except nudge the girl forward with her two fingers.

After each pass, Kimera's temper rose, until finally she moved in a completely random sequence, eyes red with rage. Tatsuki calmly countered each and every hand, elbow, arm, and kick, finally lunging in to plant those two fingers into Kimera's pressure point on between her collarbone and shoulder. The girl cried out, dropping to her knees. She was panting heavily, breathe coming in and out in ragged, sharp, shallow pulls. He struggled to get to her feet, but her exhausted limbs refused to move. She sunk to the floor.

Tatsuki, who was still breathing at a normal rate, turned back to the crowd of trainee- karate students.

"And that, my new friends, is why we need conditioning," Tatsuki grinned, her lazy smile pulling at the corners of her mouth, her hazel eyes shinning brightly.

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**That chapter was actually longer then I expected it to be. I usually try and keep my chaps between 1.8k-2.2k, and this one was about 2.6k without my random ramblings.**

**Once again, I'll update as soon as I can, considering the major lack of TatsukixChizuru fan fictions, and the fact that this story is turning out to be really fun to write.**

**Reviews would be appreciated.**

**'Till next week**

**-Dak**


	2. Interaction, Reaction

**Firstly, something I usually don't do, I would like to thank deathcurse and brandeee for leaving me REAL reviews. By real, I mean ones that actually have opinions and reactions, not 'good story.' or 'hn.'**

**So thank you two for making my day/week. Moving on to the next Chapter.**

**Sorry this took so long to update. It was only a week, but I had wanted to update sooner! This chapter might seem a little boring after the last one, but that's just the way I write. I need to have a plot line, and there is some stuff you need to know. So bare through this Chapter, which turned out to be longer then i expect, around 2.550 words. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, but if i did Tatsuki would be one kick ass soul reaper and probably the main character.**

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**Chapter Two**

Chizuru regained consciousness as the sun was setting. It slipped behind clouds, setting off a pre-dusk hue of deep purples, blues and oranges in the abandoned alleyway. The red head shakily got to her feet, pulling at the torn uniformed that graced her thin body. Stumbling over to her bag, she pulled on her once white shirt to rearrange it on her shoulders. She groped blindly for her glasses and jacket, which she had hidden as the assault began.

_Thank God I remembered to tuck them away._

She carefully slid her clean, gray jacket over the blood stained uniform top, pulling down on the material to make it cover up as much as possible. The last thing she needed on her journey home was more stares. She looked down at her skirt with slight dismay. It was a good thing she had thought ahead to buy a spare.

Once again reaching into her bag, this time she took out a nearly empty water bottle, and poured some of the remaining liquid into her dirtied hands. Gingerly, she wiped at the blood she knew was on her face. She sighed in relief when she ran her hands over her nose, luckily it was unbroken.

A bad mistake.

She fell to her already scuffed and bruised knees, clutching her aching ribs tightly and wheezing from the intensely sharp pain. Her battered cheek hit the wall, the handprint bruise scraping against the wall. Her body shook in agony. She struggled to her feet once more, staggering to the cool bus bench to lean against it. Five minutes later, the bus had arrived. Chizuru grabbed her bag, and boarded the thankfully, relatively empty bus.

"I'm home." She grumbled, throwing her house keys onto the nearest table. She trudged pass the kitchen and living room to reach the safety of her own.

"You're late. Useless child, do the dishes, take out the garbage and clean up around here." A rough yet feminine voice barked out through the small apartment.

Chizuru mumbled a reply before entering her room and locking the door. She passed her green sheeted bed and headed straight for her bathroom, closing that door as well. She threw what was left of her shirt and skirt into a garbage bin, and leaned over to turn run the bath water. She quickly stripped of the rest of her clothes, discarding them onto the white, tiled floor.

The red haired teen adjusted the water temperature and eased herself into the half empty tub. She slunk down quickly, enjoying the delicious feeling of the warm water against her worn frame. Chizuru sighed contently, slipping even further into the water. She grabbed for a bottle of shampoo, refusing to open her eyes and search properly. She felt the cold bottle against her fingers and grabbed it, quickly getting to work on her grimy hair. She washed it three times for good measure, and when she felt the grit disappear she let her head sneak below the surface.

After a few seconds of total submersion, Chizuru rose again, pulling in a small breathe and leaning her head against the cool, tile wall. She felt the bruise from earlier on her cheek react to the change of temperature. Other markings littered her body, most of which seeming to be concentrated at her rig cage, shoulders and arms. She looked down at her hands, taking note of the odd angle of one of her fingers. Good thing it was on her right hand. Ironically, the imbeciles who injured her digits probably assumed she was right handed. She almost shook her head at their stupidity, had it not been for her comfortable resting spot and lack of energy. The remaining darken, dried blood was gently brushed away from her skin. She lay completely immobile for a good half hour, just letting the steamy water soothe her injures.

There were some things the water couldn't heal. There were some things the water couldn't do for her. Chizuru reluctantly left her warm haven, drying her body and hair. In her drawers laid her usually nightwear: a short pair of red shorts and a light pink top. She put both articles of clothing on and glanced on the clock laying near her bed. 8 o'clock and she still had a lot of work to do.

* * *

"Ichigo!" 

"Yo, Tatsuki."

Tatsuki greeted her normal group of friends. They were settled in the usual spot, in the middle of the courtyard of Kanakura High School. A lone, single tree stood erectly tall, proud in age and wisdom. It shot out of the ground, rising a good three stories off the ground. The group sat under its refreshing shade, in a loose interpretation of a circle.

In the bright early hours of the morning, each face had its own degree of tiredness in it: from Orihime's wide awake and read to explore smile, to Ichigo's half-dead-on-his-feet glare. Chad looked impassive as always, Rukia was yawning. And Ishida looked… well he looked like Uryuu Ishida, which was a look on its own.

Why they were so close a group, not one of them knew. Each individual brought something that the others felt they lacked. Orihime's cheery, hopeful way of looking at things, Chad's quiet, thoughtful demeanor, Ichigo's loud, yet somewhat entertaining questions, Rukia's knowledgeable answers, Uryuu's brash, yet quiet way of insulting and thinking, and her own straightforward manor all seemed to contradict one another, yet all blended together easily. -1

Many saw the circle of teenagers as stuck up and exclusive, but not many personalities fit with the group, could blend as well with the conflicting personalities. Therefore, a slight challenge seemed to be put on the other students, an unacknowledged pressure that structured the entire social order of the school. Ichigo's group seemed to be the popular, the unreachable goal, and in turn everyone else modeled their friends and their peers around them. It all seemed so contrite, a childish stupidity, but in reality, the real world was an exact replica, forcing constraints on one another, fighting to be at the top of the metaphorical food chain. It seems so sad, yet so important. Everyone was judged according to this seemingly nonexistent pressure, a force that would meld their lives until they eventually ended.

"So Tatsuki-Chan, how has Karate been this week?"

It was Friday morning, at the end of the first week of school. Every Friday for the past year, excluding the summer, the group would always meet under this tree. On other days, some were busied by clubs, activities, and previous engagements. Throughout the week, a partial group would form. But on Friday, they all knew to leave their schedules open.

"It's been a tough week, ya know? No one likes conditioning and running. I think some of the freshies will turn out to be good fighters though."

"Mhmmmm."

A comfortable silence enveloped the group as all of them laid back lazily. Half had their eyes closed while resting, enjoying the sounds of nature. The other half was already asleep, resting in the comfort and shade of the familiar tree.

Tatsuki was not one of the latter. She laid awake, mind overflowing with the events of the busy week she had had. Between that annoyingly confident girl, conditioning, abnormally large heaps of homework, and her upcoming rent bill, a lot was on her mind. After giving each subject a decent amount of though, and in some cases, disgust, she felt her mind release her body and was about to fall into a deep slumber.

Just then, the first bell rang, startling nearly everyone in the group. Chad, who didn't seem to be startled by anything, quickly stood up, brushing his clothes off. He waited for Ishida and Orihime to rise before briskly walking towards their first class. The remaining members of the group took off in opposite directions, barely muttering goodbyes. They would all see each other in study hall, at the end of the day, if not earlier at lunch.

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Chizuru decided against going to school on Tuesday. Faking illness, she lay in bed most of the recovering from her encounter at the bus stop. 

On Wednesday, she delayed leaving school and sprinted to her bus stop. It was amazing how fast she could run when she put her mind to it. Barely out of breath when she reached the stop, she waited checked her watch and cursed. There was still ten minutes before the bus would come.

Looking out of the corner of her eye, she saw a group of boys approaching and visibly flinched. Taking a closer glance she saw three boys and one girl, trying their hardest at being discreet and failing miserably. She grabbed at her bag and stood, taking off at full speed towards the direction of her house. She heard loud remarks, some of them too graphic to repeat, and hurried footsteps. But it was too late, and she was already way out of range.

Thursday morning started like every other. She walked up to her designated spot, waiting patiently for the forever late automobile of public transportation. She looked up through sleep deprived eyes to see the three males and single female from yesterday. Turning to bolt once again, she rain straight into another teenage boy and girl, who smirked with triumph. They dragged her by her red locks into a new disgusting alleyway, beating her worse then before. Chizuru accidentally let a whimpering noise out, causing a familiar orange haired boy with black roots to viscously smack her. The blow hit her half healed bruise hard, the momentum throwing her to the hard concrete. She passed out to wake up at lunchtime. There was no point in going to school that day.

That Friday morning, she woke up extra early to take the first bus of the day, hoping to escape her attackers. She successfully reached the school without an assault on her life, making her way through her classes with ease. While she wasn't the smartest girl in the class, Chizuru could hold her own in academic studies.

For P.E. class, she changed in a bathroom stall, drawing a few stares from girls. Chizuru had never hidden her body before, she had even flaunted it in front of the straight girls, seeing how many she could make blush. It was odd behavior, but nobody cared enough to question her. She walked back to the locker room after a grueling game of volleyball to pause for a second in front of her locker. Spray painted over the front in thick black letters was a single phrase.

**Ugly ****D****YKE**

She had been ridiculed in the past, with much worse obscenities. She had heard everything from 'God will never forgive your sinning soul' to 'you will burn in hell', and her personal favorite 'Get outta our skool u stoopid dirtey lesbian'. That one was classy, bad grammar and all.

She ignored the hurtful words, which still hurt her no matter how much she wished they didn't. It hurt to know that people wouldn't accept her, not because they couldn't, but because they chose to. Chizuru continued to gather her things and walk purposefully to the bathroom stalk, noticing the obvious smirk of a blonde haired girl. She seemed familiar, and Chizuru remembered the dyed colored on the girl who she had walked into while trying to flee from the bus stop.

"Why don't you just leave." she hissed as Chizuru walked past her.

"I was going to ask you the same question, but then I realized you wouldn't get to stare at her while she was changing."

Was the reply, with a lazy wave towards her friend. Both of the attackers froze and subconsciously inched away from each other. Chizuru laughed internally, finishing her walk. Besides the exchange of words in the gym hour, Chizuru's day was going quite well, until that is, she went to study hall.

* * *

Tatsuki yawned before letting her head thump against her desk. She closed her eyes, inviting the sleep that had seemed to evade her all day long. Even the shrieking bell didn't rouse her, and she lay like that, forehead against desk, arms curled up loosely, for a good twenty minutes. 

"Arisawa! Wake up, this isn't a Holiday Inn!" -2

"Umhhpmm"

Was the groggy reply as the dark haired girl rubbed at her sleep filled eyes.

She turned to look about the room, scanning from right to left. The teacher had given her the further seat from her desk, in the back right hand corner of the room. Chad was quietly chatting with a bubbly Orihime. Ichigo was yelling something at Uryuu. Uryuu was yelling back. Rukia was about to hit Ichigo over the head with something that looked suspiciously like a Calculus textbook.

Her gaze ended at the girl sitting next to her, slumped down in her desk. Her red hair was settled in an unusually way, covering most of her face. Tatsuki thought she saw something wrong, but couldn't lay a finger on it. She sat there for a good five minutes, trying to figure out what was off about the girl. She had never really taken notice to the girl now, and was intrigued to why she couldn't seem to look away.

"Staring is impolite you know."

Chizuru had noticed the stare she was receiving. As she said the words she turned to face her classmate. She felt her soft hair uncover her cheek, and saw the girl sitting next to her's, Arisawa Tatsuki's, gaze harden. To her own mortification, her recently added bruise was displayed for a brief second, until Chizuru quickly pushed the hair back over it.

"Who did that?" Tatsuki asked simply.

Chizuru was about to tell her to "Fuck off," but the tone of Tatsuki's voice had startled her into a nicer answer. There was no sympathy, no pity in her words, just pure anger.

"I tripped down the stares."

"That excuse hasn't worked since we were five."

"Why does it matter to you anyway?" Chizuru asked in a cold tone. What, did this jock girl want? To go and congratulate them? Throw them a party? Laugh in her face about it?

"Was it your parents?" Tatsuki prodded.

"No. Just drop it."

"So it was a student." It wasn't a question, and Chizuru knew it. She remained silent.

"Who?" The red haired girl's silence continued.

They remained like that for a good ten minutes, in a deadlock of sorts. Tatsuki refused to change the subject, and Chizuru refused to acknowledge the question. She didn't trust the jock girl, as she so fondly had nicknamed her.

Chizuru tried to ignore that knowing compassion that had been in the karate enthusiast's eyes, deeming it to be a figment of her imagination. Nobody cared about her, or wanted to. All they wanted was a community scapegoat or a good laugh. That must be it, Arisawa wanted to find out who did it, congratulate them, and laugh behind her back. That had to be it. The bell rung, jolting them out of their staring contest.

Tatsuki huffed and got up quickly, walking towards the door. She went to go walk down the hallway when an idea hit her.

* * *

**1- I know that Ishida and Rukia came in from the Society and that everyone else in the group has atleast one tie to one another, but I wasn't refer to why they met, but why they worked so good with one another, why they continued being friends. Think about a workplace, just because you work with someone, does not mean you get along and are friends with them. That was what I was trying to portray, not that the Societ Society/ Soul Reaper relationship doesn't exist.**

**2- I must apologize for this line, but I have no clue to any hotels in Japan or elsewhere in the world. I only put that line in because it was what my English teacher said to me one morning, and I couldn't think of another way to wake her up.**

**Well, expect the next update within 1-1.5 weeks, as always, I'll try to write it/ type it up before then.**

**Any questions, comment, story ideas or anything else of the such, either put it in a review or message me. **

**Either will work and be greatly appreciated. Don't be afraid to tell me how it really is**

**That's all for now, thanks for reading,**

**- Dak**


	3. Self Defense?

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And, exactly one week later, Ta-Da!**

**This would have been up sooner, but I ran into a slight writter's block before rearranging events and ideas and such.**

**Thank you, my two reviewers, once more, you two are keeping me eager to continue!**

**Thanks death, i didn't realize that anon reviews were disabled! argh!! I love your in depth reviews. About the past comment, i meant it as a general statement, not that the two actually knew one another when they were five, but maybe in a different story I coukd incoperate that. I don't think I would know where to put it in this story.**

**Warnings: **

**I guess I thought people on this website were smart enough to read but just in case. **

**THIS IS FOR ALL PREVIOUS, CURRENT AND FUTURE CHAPTERS. I WILL ONLY POST IT ONCE.**

**- girlxgirl. dont like it? Dont read it. Think its gross? What are you still doing here?**

**-Language. Yes we all know how catty girls get, so expect strong language.**

**- angsty-ish. I don't know why, but I usually have atleast some angst in my storys. I usually like happy endings though.**

**Disclaimer: If i owned Bleach, all that crap about Bounto or w/e vampire crap would be gone. Sadly I dont, so enjoy random vampires that dont really fit in.

* * *

**

" What do you want jock girl?" Chizuru finished the comment with a sheepish smile.

_Whoops__, did that nickname just slip __out?_

It was twelve days prior to Tatsuki's idea.

She had wanted to approach the girl with the question earlier, but had decided to postpone the conversation. All of last week was a blur, both girls being busy on most of the days. Monday was a hectic day, and Tuesday, Chizuru wasn't in school. Every day in study hall the two would enjoy one another's simple conversation.

On this day though, when the bell rang, instead of going separate ways, Tatsuki had grabbed her wrist and hand, pulling her somewhere.

"Self defense," she said excitedly, in a very un-Tatsuki like tone.

Chizuru was baffled, and in the moment of shock, continued to let Tatsuki drag her.

_And her hands, so warm…_

_Wait… What!? Whoa, whoa. __Chizuru, back AWAY from the straight girl._

They reached the dojo a few moments later, and Tatsuki retracted her grip from Chizuru's hand. It left Chizuru feeling strangely disappointed.

And that frightened her more then her tri-weekly beatings. Much, much more.

"Self defense?"

"What? Did I stutter? Ya, self defense. I know you won't admit it, but ya need to defend yourself if someone is picking on you."

"Some ones" she growled under her breathe.

"Even better," The taller girl answered with a feral grin,

"We do conditioning first, so if you want to wait for us to fin-"

"What kind of conditioning? Like push-ups?"

"No, right now we're doing stamina conditioning. Basically, running 'em till they die."

"Fun, what wonderful jock-tastic fun."

"Kinda ironic… that you would label people," Tatsuki had a sly smile on her face and wicked glint in her eyes.

"And just what is_ that_ supposed to mean?" Chizuru asked, an indignant look on her face.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about Chizu-Chan." Tatsuki grinned playfully.

_ Most people are way too nervous and awkward when talking about this… and yet she just sits there with that big goofy grin on her face, saying whatever comes to her mind. __And Chizu-Chan?__ What's with that?_

"I denno. Just felt like saying it. Does it bother you?"

"Eh?" Chizuru realized she must have said those last two questions out loud, "Oh, no, just unexpected."

"My bad, Chizu-san. So, do ya wanna run with us then?"

"Yeah, why not, I actually like running,"

_when__ it's not for my life._

"Alright, let's go get changed then."

Tatsuki and Chizuru made their way to the locker room. They parted ways, Chizuru going to the sixth row from the door, while Tatsuki was at the third row of lockers.

"Well if it isn't our neighborhood slut. What, did you forget your play toy?"

Chizuru mentally cringed. Maybe this had been Tatsuki's plan the whole time. But, how would Tatsuki have known about the arguing with the fake blonde? Unless they planned this together? But, how would Tatsuki have been sure she would accompany her?

The logical answer was that she wouldn't, therefore she had nothing to do with Kimera Kanako and her dark blue haired friend.

"No, Kanako-chan," her voice dripped false sincerity, "but I'm _g__lad_ to see you didn't forget yours."

"Come on Hakumi, we don't need to talk with such trash."

Kanako and Hakumi rushed towards the door, eagerly trying to outrun their embarrassment.

"Now, now trainees. I thought I had taught you better manners then that. It seems you have failed discipline training. To correct this problem, you two will need to work extra har. That way, you'll be too tired to confront innocent people, ne?"

"Yes Tatsuki-Sama." The forced words came out through gritted teeth as the blonde bit back a scowl.

Chizuru stifled her laughter at the response.

"Dismissed," Tatsuki barked out, and the two bullies fled from the room.

Tatsuki turned around to face Chizuru, her face returning to its playful grin.

"That never gets old."

Chizuru could no longer hold it in, and she burst out laughing until tears pooled around her gray orbs and slid down her pale cheeks. She brushed them off with a small chuckle and smile. She hadn't laughed like that in a very long time. Too long a time.

"Is everyone here?"

There seemed to be around twenty of each gender. Tatsuki's fan club had quit earlier that week, and instead contently sat under large trees and benches, watching their interest without a backbreaking training session.

"Alright. Today is our super special stamina day," Tatsuki's carefree grin was infectious. Some grinned back, other shook there heads at her.

"Don't forget to pace yourself. If you suffer from shortness of breathe, take deeper ones. If you have to throw up, make sure you miss the track. If you pass out, make sure you're not in anyone's way."

"Arisawa-Sama, that is a bit extreme, no?"

"Maybe Raiku-Chan," Tatsuki's eyes were dancing with laughter, green specs shinning with the incoming sun rays, Chizuru found it hard to look away. "And, Rai-Chan, what did I tell you?"

"Forgive me, Aris- Tatsuki-sensei, I won't call you by such a formal name."

"Much better. Now, we will split into groups. If someone in your group fails to run, you will report it to me."

All other senior members were currently in the dojo, practicing and sparring.

"No covering for your friends. If I find out that you've been lying, running will be the last thing on your mind." Her last words were spoken with a rare seriousness. Chizuru found she was blushing, and still staring, but could not pull herself to look away.

Tatsuki seemed to wear most of her emotions on her sleeve, so to speak, and while she might have self doubts in leading, she took her job one hundred percent seriously. She was actually quite an inspiring speaker when she wasn't nervous, and those under her guidance never doubted her commands once, giving her their utmost respect and confidence.

Except for a certain blonde haired girl and her dark haired minion.

"So Chizu-san," Tatsuki walked up to her after stretching. She knew her presence had caused somewhat of a commotion. Curious glances and suspicious glares were being shot her way.

"I usually… kinda… run extra. If you want to stop at any time feel free."

"Whatever you say jock-sensei." Tatsuki grinned and swiped at Chizuru's head. Their friendship seemed so natural, even if it was a bit forced at the beginning. Chizuru couldn't remember the last time someone had actually been genuinely nice to her.

"Today will be an easier day, two miles. That's eight laps around our beautiful track here. After running, go inside the dojo for basic skills trainin'. Remember, no cutting corners or anything of the such. This is all for your benefit, and if you cheat here, the only person your cheating is yourself. Group one, go… Group two, go… Group three……. Group six, go…"

"Ready?"

"Let's get going."

Tatsuki quickly sprinted to the front of the crowd, pulling out in front easily. Her iPod was turned to near maximum volume, hard rock music screaming into her ears, dulling out her other senses until the only thing she felt, saw, did was run. Her body shifted into autopilot. Thoughts were forced out of her mind as adrenaline pushed them out, leaving only a dull concentration. She took slow, deliberate breathes, slightly pacing herself, as she made her way around lap ten.

She noticed Chizuru about a third of a mile behind her.

As she hit lap twelve, Chizuru was less then a lap behind her. They were nearly even as lap fifteen started, but the redhead started to falter. Tatsuki pushed her body the hardest she could, finishing the lap in about a minute and a half.

Two minutes later, Chizuru crossed the finish line. She went to go sit down, but Tatsuki stopped her from completing the motion.

"Don't… sit… not healthy… gotta… walk … it… off." The two supported one another back to the dojo. Tatsuki had finally caught her breathe.

"It's been awhile since I've had someone keep up with me. Are you sure you don't want to join Karate club?"

"Yeah," she panted, "Not all of us are jock-chans."

Tatsuki guffawed.

"Well, atleast I tried… Time for self defense classes."

"Sure."

The two girls walked into the dojo. Tatsuki firmly directed Chizuru to an empty corner, despite the glares of hatred and curious stares marking their arrival.

"The first thing you need to learn, is how to break a hold…"

The lessons continued on, the taller girl showing her new friend different holds, counter holds, punches, kicks and other sorts of attacks. She taught each step with a patience most teachers in the school dreamt of having. When Chizuru messed up, Tatsuki was their, correcting her stance with gently words of encouragement.

"It's about time to get going, how was the lesson?"

"Surprising well Jock-Chan, who thought you could teach?" the red hair girl teased her friend as a small smile crept onto her lips.

"I'm shocked,That truly pierces my soul that you doubt me so," Tatsuki responded with mock, dramatizing each word of her sentence.

"Oh… shit. I left my new weights back in the locker room."

"I'll go get them for you."

"Are you sure, I don't mind-"

"Where exactly did you leave them?

Giving Chizuru directions to her locker bench, Tatsuki turned back around to gather her things.

* * *

Chizuru entered the eerily silent locker room, following Tatsuki's directions to the bench. She looked around confused, searching for the weights. They were nowhere to be found.

"Well look who it is."

A acidic voice called out. Chizuru looked up startled to see Kanako sneering at her.

"What do you want?" There was a wary tone in her voice.

"Just here to get something for Jo- Tatsuki-Sama."

"I'm surprised you could stop drooling long enough."

"Wha-"

"Don't try to deny it. I saw the way you were looking at Tatsuki-san. But she thinks you're disgusting just like the rest of us. Stupid dyke bitch. No one wants to be friends with you, especially someone as popular as Tatsuki-Sama. What does she need a freak friend like you for? You're just a game to her, a play toy, something to mess with when she's bored."

Chizuru knew that she shouldn't believe the poison out of this psycho bitch's mouth, but some of the things hit too close to home. Kimera had voiced some of her greatest fears, that she was just something to amuse Tatsuki, something that could be disregarded and discarded in the blink of an eye.

Chizuru looked down at the ground, furious to have her eyes growing blurry. She saw a glint of metal and bent down to grab Tatsuki's missing weights.

The red hair exited the locker room without a word. The fake blonde's lips held a sinister sneer.

* * *

Chizuru dropped the weights off in front of Tatsuki remaining awkwardly silent.

"You okay?" Concern seemed to lack her voice. It sickened Chizuru that someone could act that well.

"Fine."

The two exited the dojo in silence, unseen tension lacing the air.

"Seriously. What's wrong?" Tatsuki went to put a comforting arm on Chizuru's shoulder. The younger girl visibly recoiled, shrinking away from the confused hand.

"Don't. touch. Me." She hissed through clenched teeth. Tatsuki was completely bewildered, wondering what could have caused the reverse in her attitude.

"Wait! Chizuru!"

"Are you done? What have I ever done to you? Pathetic, it figures that you'd be like that Reiichi. I hope you've had your fun."

"I don't know what you-"

"Save it for someone who believes your lies. I don't need to put up with this, I've… been hurt enough…"

Tatsuki was mortified to see thick tears running down her new friends face, so much different from the ones of laughter just hours before. Emotions slammed into her, anger at herself, confusion for what was happening, guilt for a crime she didn't know that she had commited.

"I'm sure it was an accident, just tell me what happened."

"I…I.."

Tatsuki felt her heart break. It was strange that she felt so strongly for this girl, who she had just began a friendship with days ago, but she cherished the friendship, an authentic friendship. Chizuru didn't hang out with her for the popularity or social points. She didn't try to get something from her, she had nothing physical to gain. The red head was a friend who truly enjoyed her company, all she wanted was someone to talk to, and that was all she expected.

"I trusted a monster… I trusted you."

Tatsuki felt her heart not break, no that would have been too easy to mend, but instead she felt it shatter completely, decaying into tiny pieces inside her chest.

And with those words, Chizuru spun around, sprinting away from the school, away from the girl that had hurt her, away from her problems, if she was fast enough.

* * *

**Angst, Angst, Angst.**

**It's not a romance without angst, it's fluff.**

**Anywho, that's all for today my faithful reviewers. I look foward to your comments.**

**You know when the next chap will be up, before two weeks for sure.**

**Your tired writer**

**-Dak**


	4. Details and Decisions

**Ugh!**

**It's been too long, my faithful readers/reviews, and for that I apologize.**

**I have been grounded, and am currently sneaking on to write this.So, shhhh! Don't tell my mother, mkay?**

**Welcome new reviewers. Have I ever told any of you how much I love the reviews? I want to thank all my reviewers, new or otherwise.**

** -Responding to Reviews-**

**I try to write Tatsuki as I would hope the Bleach author would, making her thoughts too girl-ish or impractical wouldn't work. That's just not the kind of character Tatsuki is. About Kimera, I don't think anyone really likes her,**

** -except my friend, he always likes the people that normal people hate-**

**but I was planning to do a chapter in her POV. In all good time, of course. I actually chuckled reading the next review, I do think death would be a BIT extreme, no?**

** I'm glad some of you are actually looking at this in depth, I love random symbols and I assume a lot, like the fact that most of you pick up on things without me spelling it out for you. **

**That usually makes my day.**

**If anyone has any questions for me, email/review/pm it to me.**

** No question is a stupid one. **

**And for the last one, I actually did look that up before writing this, but here's how I look at it.**

** No matter how tolerant a country as a whole is, you will still find ignorant hatred in some places, and by some people. I'm sorry to say, but no society is truly moral or perfect in this sense. **

**This cannot be helped, and I wanted to write this in the original setting of Bleach,aka the school, so that's why I kept it in Japan.**

**I LOVE REVIEWS! -semi-insane cackle-**

**What you've all be waiting for. Enjoy!**

* * *

_Wha__… What just happened!?_

Tatsuki stood in a dazed state, not exactly sure what had just happened or why. Chizuru had seemed to be having a good time. Was Tatsuki that bad at reading people, that she couldn't tell the difference between enjoyment and hate?

_No…_ she thought slowly, _No that wasn't it at all._

Chizuru had been having a good time, they always had a good time together, and she would have vocalized it earlier if something was unsatisfactory. So what was it? What could have done that to her friend?

Tatsuki unconsciously was gripping her chest, her heart physically hurting. Chizuru had been through too much, for that she was certain. There was only one person who controlled Tatsuki's life, and that was Tatsuki herself.

So whoever had done this to her would suffer. And whoever had made Chizuru cry would pay.

_Oh yes_, she clenched her fist, _they would pay._

Tatsuki retraced her steps, returning to the dojo for more information.

* * *

Tatsuki looked around for Sakiko, or another older karate sensei. Finding barely anyone left in the dojo, She decided to look for familiar faces instead. 

"Tatsuki-sensei…" A younger boy called out, blushing furiously.

Giving him a small smile, the spiky haired girl brushed past him, muttering some dismissal.

When something was on Tatsuki's mind, that was ALL that was on her mind, and no feeble, love stricken teenager could deter her. Atleast, not at that moment.

She made a mental note to apologize at a later date, if the boy wasn't scarred for life now.

"Rai-Chan!"

"Arisawa-Sama?"

"Where's Saki-Chan? Or Mia-Sama?"

"They all left earlier. A few of us stayed to clean up the dojo."

"Fuck," she mumbled under her breathe.

"Tatsuki-Sensei!" The younger girl squawked. Her crystal green eyes looked horrified.

The older girl grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of her head again.

"Sorry, sorry, Rai-Chan. Can ya do me two favors?"

"Hai, sensei."

Tatsuki was going to tell her to stop acting so formal, it did embarrass her after all, but that would have made it three favors. And these two were much more important.

"Do you know who kept the A-book today?"

"A-book?"

"Er… One of the Sensei is supposed to keep a book of sorts. We all take a turn doing it. You're supposed to write down who leaves, misbehaves, or any injury reports. It's like a check up book I guess. Do you know who had it today?"

"Sakiko-Sama did…"

Tatsuki growled softly, mumbling her curses with her hands so that Rai wouldn't hear them.

"But she asked me to do it today."

The raven haired girl's obscenities turned to chuckles. Of course, Saki was the lazy sort, and usually pawned her work off on the younger girls.

Her face returned to its somber state as she remembered why she had returned to begin with.

"Can I see it?"

Rai handed over the list, and Tatsuki nearly cursed again. Over ten names were on the list, and it would take some time to figure out who had done when and why. She quickly made a copy of the list, returning it to its creator.

"My second favor is that you tell no one I asked."

"Hai, Tatsuki-Sensei."

Tatsuki left the building for the final time that day, a lot on her mind.

* * *

_Don't let it get to you. Don't let them get to you._

Chizuru repeated those words over and over in her head, hoping if she thought indifferent enough, she would actually be indifferent. But her fresh wounds hurt too much. She hadn't felt this horrible since, well since she had first come out.

Being betrayed by her "best friend" had hurt a lot less, and she knew why. She had long ago realized her true feelings for her independent friend, which is probably why it pained her so much more this time around.

That and, Tatsuki seemed so real.

Really concerned, genuinely friendly.

Looking back, the red head couldn't remember one instance she had doubted Tatsuki's sincerity.

She shook her head, angrily swiping at the new wave of tears.

She slipped into her apartment, treading lightly as to not be heard. She had reached the hallway before a creaky floorboard had betrayed her, like everything else she had known. Chizuru cursed loudly at her current misfortune as her captor called her into her chambers. The red head complied, knowing what would happen if she ignored the rough growl, and dragged her feet to walk as slowly as possible.

"Girl! Your late. Where's dinner?"

Chizuru cringed and moved closer.

"S-sorry, I had to stay for afterschool help, Ka-san."

"Utterly useless. You're just like your father, always…"

The barrage of words started, hitting Chizuru hard like they did on most nights. Perhaps they even hurt worse that day. She stood perfectly still, soaking in insult after drunken insult. There would be apologizes tomorrow, of course.

Her mother needed her, and in a twisted way, Chizuru needed her as well. She needed the one person who didn't outright reject her, who wouldn't lie to her face or put on a fake smile. She needed assurance and stability, even it was insanely negative. She needed something constant in her life, something her peers refused to provide for her. So she took these intoxicated punishments in stride, knowing that an apology would come, soon or later.

Chizuru waited for her mother to pass out, before scampering to the safety of her own room. The red head lay down in her soft haven of pillows and mattress, finally letting her tears flow freely and uninterrupted. She felt her resolve crumble and her form slacken. There was no more fight in her.

After a few hours of lying prone on her bed, unmoving, she limped to her bathroom. Turning on the cold water faucet, she splashed the cool fluid onto her face. Chizuru went to turn around, but the glint of metal caught her eyes. She warily picked up her razor, holding it close to her eyes to inspect its sharpness.

Chizuru remembered replacing it yesterday, as the hard metal glinted under her scouring.

It would be so…easy.

And it was supposed to relieve the pain, wasn't it? Wouldn't it?

She held the plastic and metal over her arm, twisting it so her pale wrist remained utterly exposed.

Hands shaking, the sorrowful girl laid the razor on her arm.

She could feel the tremors going through her bodies, a shiver running up her spine at the freezing temperature of the blade.

It would be so easy, so simple really.

She could cut across to ease her pain, or cut down to ease her suffering.

It was the first time, in a long time, a decision, something important was truly in her hands. And she loved the feeling.

Chizuru put a slight pressure on her wrist. A little more force would break skin.

She took in a deep breathe, preparing herself for the pain.

She tried to clear her mind, unsuccessfully.

The only thing she could think of was a spiky haired karate champion.

Tatsuki whispered into her ear, hot breathe centimeters away from the shell of her ear.

"Don't be stupid Chizu-Chan."

She shivered again, this time as a warmth crept up her spine and spread to her pale cheeks.

She had never heard Tatsuki's voice sound so… delicious before.

She dropped the razor, along with her new found power.

She couldn't do it, with Tatsuki watching, even if it was only in her mind.

She could not bring herself to hurt herself, knowing that her dark haired idol would disapprove.

Chizuru sank to her knees, hands buried in her face.

* * *

"Tatsuki-Chan? Tatsuki-Chan!" 

"Ne?"

Tatsuki snapped out of dazed world to acknowledge her orange haired friend. Orihime's face was extremely close to her's, eyesbrows wrinkled in worry. Her best friend rapped a knuckle on her forehead, the worried expression never leaving her face.

"What! What?"

"You've been spacing out all week, Tatsuki. Are you okay?"

Tatsuki looked at her other friends in study hall, all with similar looks of concern on her face. The karate girl sighed. Her mind had been filled, spilling over with images and conversations of a certain red haired girl.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't banish her final image of the girl, thick with tears and hurt.

So much hurt, it sickened her to think of it.

It was all still a complete mystery, the only thing she could figure out was that someone had said or done something.

She had been set on confronting the girl, but Chizuru had skipped school yet again.

Tatsuki wondered how she maintained such good grades when she was gone so much.

"I'm just… worried about the karate team, that's all," She lied successfully.

Several of her friends nodded, satisfied with the answer; Orihime was not.

"Are you sure its got nothing to do with Chizuru?" She questioned suspiciously.

Tatsuki tried hard not to wince. Her usually ditzy friend had been remarkably perceptive, hitting the proverbial nail right on its head.

"W-Why would you say that?" It came out less confident then she hoped.

"No reason," Orihime smiled, turning around to chat with another girl in the class. She swiftly turned back around, as if she had remembered something.

"But, you're happier when you talk to her, and about her.Kinda like how Kurosaki-Kun is when he talks to Rukia-Chan"

She spun back to resume her cheerful conversation.

Tatsuki blushed at the hidden implications. Whether Orihime knew it or not, she had touched yet another subject wandering through Tatsuki's churning mind. She turned away to see Ichigo studying her, a small smirk on his face.

"Its nothing…," she growled to herself, "Nothing like Ichigo's stupid orange haired feelings…" Her eyes went wide as she remembered a seemingly unimportant detail.

_-Flashback-_

_"Don't. __touch__. Me." She hissed through clenched teeth. Tatsuki was __completely bewildered__, wondering what could have caused the reverse in her attitude._

_"Wait! __Chizuru!"_

_"Are you done? What have I ever done to you? Pathetic, it figures that you'd be like that __Reiichi__. I hope you've had your fun."_

_-End Flashback-_

That was it!

Reiichi, that Ichigo wannabe, was somehow related.

"Thanks Hime!" She hugged her bewildered friend as the final bell rang out. She knew where the fake orange hair boy liked to hang out.

"No problem!" Orihime chirped, confused, but happy to have helped.

* * *

Stalking down the carrot top took slight skill, but hiding in the shadows without ramming his face in was much harder. 

The loud boy was at his usual meeting spot, chatting loudly with some catty looking girls.

Tatsuki stood behind a tree, close enough to see the group, but just far enough to be out of hearing range.

She squinted, trying to make out faces. It barely surprised her to see who his companions were. Trash seemed to stick with trash.

She could make out the words "Early morning", "Surprise", "Tomorrow", and "152", before slipping away.

She was sure she had heard enough, and had a sinking anger in the pit of her stomach.

* * *

"Ugh." It was the normal Friday morning, and Chizuru had no will to wake up, get dressed or go to school. She stood anyway, knowing trying to explain why exactly she wasn't at school would take much more effort then actually going. 

Her mother could be an ogre sometimes.

She got dressed in the usually uniform, grabbing her signature simple, black bag as she got ready to walk to her bus stop.

She looked longingly at her razor, knowing she would never have the strength to use it. Not when she feelings lurked inside her. She shut the door softly, yawning into the early morning sun.

* * *

Rukia looked around, smiling sleepily. 

She lived for these Fridays, when all of her friend's busy schedules were put on hold for a peaceful morning meeting.

Rukia and the others, Orihime especially, almost felt bad for lying to Tatsuki, but training with Soul Reapers was dangerous and necessary.

Tatsuki was basically the only one of the group not involved, but Rukia knew she could see and feel Hallows.

Eventually she would be sucked in, pressured to save her friends, and join their ranks. That was something she willed to never happen.

Tatsuki had enough in her life, and on her mind. She didn't need the added strain of worrying over her capable friends. And worry she would.

It was Friday.

Renji usually took the Hallow shifts early in the morning.

No one had been late to their meeting in the two years they've been in session.

In a way, everyone was relaxed; it was the one time of the week no one had to worry about fighting, protecting, or journeys.

There was no pressure, no inexplicable strain while they lay under that large oak tree.

It was their safe haven from the work.

Rukia smiled happily at Ichigo.

She loved the fool, but he put himself in way too much danger sometimes.

It was nice, to be there, unaware to the pressures and problems, knowing her friends to be safe.

Lying in her lover's arm, gone to the world, and wanting it no other way.

* * *

**Sorry for any grammatical or other errors. It was either post this tonight at **

**-looks at clock- **

**10:45 PM, **

**or hope to get on the computer again with enough time to re edit it and post it up. **

**So, sorry once again. **

**Hope you enjoyed this Chapter, I'll be looking foward to your amazingly inspiring reviews.**

**Yours Truly,**

**- Dak**


	5. Fateful Friday

**Ugh, late as always. I'm surprised you guys haven't throw rocks at me yet. **

**Thank you thank you thank you for being so patient. Either that, or you guys have just stopped reading all together, which i hope isnt the case. I've never felt the need to justify myself, I usually only show my writtings to people smart enough to put together the unwritten but implied pieces, but apparently im a defensive writter so here it goes.**

**A response to a review from chapter4:**

**I mentioned at the beginning this fic was probably going to be AU. I also implied Chizuru's conversations with the Ichigo crowd, so she hasn't had NO interaction with Orihime.**

**They did more bonding then just running together. As i wrote, they spent everyday talking in class, for atleast over two weeks. You said it was overly melodramatic, but you need to get into the mindset of the characters before critizing someone so roughly. Chizuru comes from a broken home and a broken lifestyle. She is basically excepted by no one, and the people she is excepted by use her. Enter Tatsuki, one of her only true friends for years who actually likes Chizuru for just being Chizuru. Also, there is the mutual attraction that has been hinted as numerous times, and hormones make everything so much more wonderful. With Tatsuki is a girl with numerous friends, but not very close ones [with the exception of Ichigo and Orihime. She is also used shamelessly, but by people who want popularity, and in a different way from Chizuru. She was also seeking a friend who would accept her for being Tatsuki, not someone who wanted high school glory. **

**That is why there fight was so "melodramatic".**

**As for the other criticisms, I happen to like my style of writting, and if one doesn't, there is always the back arrow and/or the home button. I will admit some stuff is slightly pushed together, but I wouldnt go so far as to call it "muddled".**

**Anywho, on to the wonderful goodness. I'm sorry to say this chapter is a good deal shorter then what i normally push out, but I thought it was a good ending point, and I'm slightly rusty in writting.**

**Warnings: cursing, hormones, extremely homophobic thoughts, violence, textbook throwing, IchiRuki, etc.**

**I just want to note that any/ALL homophobic remarks are not thought of by ME, but by the character. I share NONE of the views. Oh, and that i despise IchiOri and will NEVER write it. bawahahahah.**

* * *

Rukia yawned again, shifting slightly to snuggle back into Kurosaki Ichigo's capable arms.

"Ichi," she questioned, using her favorite pet name, "Is everybody here yet?"

"No, not yet," he mumbled halfheartedly into her hair.

"Really?"

Rukia sat up suddenly, almost crashing into a half asleep Ichigo's chin. There was forty minutes until school started, and on most days, the entire group was already settled under the tall oak. Rukia's head flew back and forth, scouring the numerous faces approaching. Her absent friends were not among them.

"Two seem to be missing."

Ichigo shrugged at the vacant patches of lawn and pulled Rukia back up against him, willing her to forget about anything but the warmth of his arms. She complied, molding into his body. Her eyes might have been closed, but her mind was racing.

_"Where could they possibly be?"_

* * *

Chizuru silently cursed herself. On the daily trek to her rundown bus stop, she had fallen, crashing onto the unforgiving pavement. While making the transition from her middle class home to the untamable zone where the stop laid, a loose chunk of sidewalk had caught her foot.

She scowled silently at the protruding slab of rock which had been pulled up from its weak base and tagged with a local gang's graffiti. The red head lay her palms against the uneven surface, pushing her body weight back up onto her feet. With a look of disgust, she brushed her grit covered palms on the side of her skirt and inspected the condition of her glasses. She sighed in relief, finding them relatively unscathed.

"Just what I needed…"

She grumbled loudly, glaring at the half naked man who had stopped to watch her. It was then she remembered and turned her face as the working man slipped by her.

Her hand unconsciously flew to her cheek and Chizuru winced, feeling the indentation of the new handprint bruise which painted her face. It had decided to take residence as soon as the older one started to faded, leaving a midnight black bruise with a yellowish halo making up its circumference.

A sharp pain has made its way through her midsection when she rose from the grungy ground, reminding the red head of her bruised ribs. Her legs were in a weaken state, and her hand throbbed slightly.

Her train of never ending abusers had decided to make their stop early the previous morning, and Chizuru had considered staying home again. It was then she ruefully remembered her class rank could not take much more strain if she ever planned to escape this hell she currently resided in.

Chizuru thudded angrily against the bench designated for her stop, continuing to curse countless places, people and even deities. In fact, her bad mood preoccupied so much of her thoughts that she failed to notice the crowd that had settled around her and an oh-so-familiar orange haired menace sneering down on her.

Chizuru groaned.

She was fucked.

* * *

Sado wasn't one for breaking traditions.

He actually considered himself the most faithful in his group when the subject pertained to their meetings.

Being raised by his abuelo in Mexico, under the strict culture and household regulations, had led him to following and embracing daily traditions.

But, today has turned out to be different. Ichigo needed him for something, and that was all he was told.

That was all Sado needed to know.

Ichigo had always backed him up, always supported him. When the pressure became too strong, Ichigo was there to ease it.

His group of friends had become his siblings, his family of sorts. So when the orange hair boy needed a favor, it would get done.

Sado would make sure of that.

Besides, he was curious himself to what would unfold today. Something was going on, and he needed to find out what.

He would find out what.

For his family.

* * *

"Still not here yet?" Ishida yawned and asked in his particular slow way of speaking.

"No," Rukia responded in a slightly anxious voice. Ichigo rubbed her arm to try and soothe the worried girl.

"Are you sure they're coming today?"

Rukia's eyebrows furrowed. Since when did somebody not show up?

"Why wouldn't they?"

"Someone could be sick Rukia-Chan, just calm down," Ichigo whispered reassuringly.

"They always show up, even when they're sick Kurosaki."

"They'll be here, _Quincy_," Ichigo spat out.

"I see no need for you to present my proper heritage with such disgust. It is a title filled with honor, not that you would know, _Soul Reaper_."

"You are such a hypocrite, you skinny pale basta-"

"Enough!" Rukia growled, effectively shutting the two prideful boys up.

She sighed again and scanned the crowd yet another time.

_"Where are they?"_

* * *

Chizuru's small frame hit the ground hard enough to make her body actually bounce off the concrete. The red head grit her teeth in pain, refusing to make a noise as the pain shot through her already sore body.

She couldn't understand it. The group of losers had assaulted her yesterday. Would they ever have enough? Would they ever been satisfied with the pain she was forced to keep with her daily? She felt familiar rough hands grab her, hard enough to bruise. A shin raised up high enough to bury itself in her gut. One of the calloused hands holding her in place let go of her shoulders, temporarily relieving her of the pressure, the pain.

Chizuru felt her vision swim as the same hand viciously punched her in the face. Reiichi was being particularly ruthless today. Momentum slammed Chizuru into the wall again, with the orange haired imposter on her in a second. He had her pinned, in a position she could never escape from, even with years of Tatsuki's self defense training.

Her consciousness barely registered the open handed slaps she received, only alerting her to breathe when another kick drove all the air from her lungs. The force holding her up to the painfully unsmooth brick laced wall was gone, leaving her to crumple to the floor, still gasping hard for air to fill her chest. A pair of pink shoes swarmed her vision, and she looked up to see disgust in the eyes of her most hated enemy. Kimera.

* * *

"Who do you think you are?" Kimera's voice dripped with an intense acid as she hissed at the wounded red haired girl.

Reiichi watched on in wonder at the conversation. He had never seen the blonde girl look so dam hot. Standing there, scowling menacingly at the despicable girl. The way she hissed at the dyke bitch, and kicked her around like she was trash was such a turn on. The girl was garbage, and she deserved to be treated like it. The red haired girl was a sinner, a heathen, and deserved to be punished for turning away from God. It wasn't his fault she had made unnatural decisions, and fell into the trap of the devil with her lustful fantasies. She could be right if she wanted to enough. It wasn't his fail she was going to hell.

He watched the disgusting lesbian growl something out and then saw his blonde beauty's eyes darken with rage as she magnificently backhand the stupid bitch. Served the slut right.

But then the dyke did something inexcusable.

* * *

"How much time?"

"Twenty minutes until the first bell Rukia-Chan," Orihime looked down at her Hello Kitty watch for a few moments before answering.

"Stop asking," Ichigo scowled at his girlfriend. Rukia had been pacing back and forth, leaving the comfort of his lap to continue her frantic mannerisms.

"They'll get here when they get here."

Out of nowhere, Ichigo rolled to the side, ending up on his stomach as he dodged the Calculus book.

"Where'd that fucking thing even come fro-"

He scrambled to his feet to dodge the Economics book thrown next.

"Alright! Alright! I'm sorry."

Ishida chuckled at the flustered Soul Reaper.

Orihime giggled slightly.

Rukia just glared before returning to her pacing.

"What time is it?"

* * *

Chizuru's head ached.

Well, not as much ache as throbbed and roared.

She was confused, totally bewildered by the blonde's words.

It made no sense.

Her enemy was contradicting herself in so many ways, and Chizuru couldn't distinguish the truth anymore.

She had lied, Chizuru knew that, but at which time?

Was she lying now, or had she lied before?

If she was lying then, then what did Tatsuki really want with her? Was she wrong to make such a hasty decision? What exactly happened that day?

And why would she be lying now?

To cause her this confusion? If so, it worked.

Or was she lying now to break her apart, to get into Chizuru's mind and fill it with hope to then permanently destroy it.

The possibilities were endless, and she didn't know who to believe, what to believe or even how to believe.

All she could do was wrap her mind around was one thing.

Chizuru was tired.

So very, very tired.

Tired of being bullied.

Tired of having to explain and make excuses for the bruises she always came home with.

Tired of being pushed around.

Tired of being discriminated for no reason.

Tired of being tired.

She had put up with this for far too long.

So she did what anyone would do, at least, anyone in that situation.

A resounding noise echoed off the wall as Chizuru's open hand connected with the side of Kimera's face.

* * *

**There we go, a slight attempt as humor, another beating scene and some IchiRuki fun. Sorry for the shortness and any confusion at the last part. It will be cleared up in the upcoming chapters I swear.**

**First day od break is today, and if I don't get grounded, hopefully I will be posting quicker!**

**You know I love your reviews**

**-Dak**


	6. Fateful Friday pt2

Well, it's been awhile, hasn't it guys? So so so so so so so sorry for the delay. I really am. I had a mean case of writer's block, and i wrote this chapter up about five times before submitting this one. The next chapter will contain more information on why Chizuru is so hated, and other things you reviewers were asking about.

Please don't hate me for not updating. I get grounded a lot and had to bust my ass to keep my grades to what is "acceptable" to my mother.

There was forshadowing to this chapter, see if you can remember it.

Warning: more homophobic thoughts/statements which I do NOT support and/or say. I'm bi ffs. Don't call me a homophobe. Anger, beating, abuse and some other things which if i mention here will ruin the suspense that has been attempted to be built. This is a pretty violent chapter, so do not read it if that offends you.

THIS STORY IS RATED "T" FOR A REASON.

* * *

_Thud. Thud. Thud._

Footsteps pounded hurriedly on the dry, cracking pavement.

Almost there. Almost there.

_Thud. Thud. Thud._

Harsh breathing could be heard, burning lungs taking in shallow, unsteady breathes. This wasn't healthy, she knew, but decided to not care. Muscling groaning, she picked up her pace. This was important.

_Thud. Thud. Thud._

A look of pure determination set into hazel eyes, flecks of regret as numerous as the verdant ones present there. This was her fault, she knew. All her fault.

_Thud. Thud. Thud._

* * *

_Thud._

She was slammed against the wall, a silent wail caught in her throat as her throbbing skull connected once again with the uneven brickwork. Her grin was wild and animalistic, eyes successful and somewhat crazy as she looked into the shocked eyes of her abusers.

"Don't you fucking touch me anymore," She growled, unsuccessfully trying to spit the blood from her mouth.

"Don't you dare fucking touch me until you explain yourself. What do you mean-"

A punch to her gut stopped Chizuru's sentence from ending.

"Talk quieter," Kimora hissed through clenched teeth.

"What do you mean?" The redhead ground out.

"You know exactly what I meant."

"Obviously not," she spat out, "How could hurt jock girl if she was just playing with me? That makes no sense. And why would you care anyway? You're just a cold, self-serving, heartless bitch."

Kimora raised her hand to grab a fist full of Chizuru's tarnished mane, to release it with a yelp as the girl attacked one of the sensitive pressure points in her wrist.

"How could you believe something like that? You really are stupid. Haven't you seen her at school-"

"No," Chizuru spat out, "You and your friends have made sure of that."

Kimora sighed in frustration.

"For the top of your class you really are stupid."

"Just what is that supposed to mean?"

"I have no right to tell you how others hide themselves, but next time you see her, take a clearer look. You owe her that much."

"Why are you helping me?"

It made no sense to the defeated girl's mind. Help meant someone wanted something. Defense mechanism automatically took over.

"I can't change anyone's feelings," She glared into Chizuru's eyes.

But behind that glare, the redhead saw hurt. Hurt and disappointment and regret.

"Now," she said, still in that quiet tone, "Pretend like you passed out, and I can convince tall, dyed and ugly over there to leave."

Chizuru swore that the statement had humor in it, but her eyes refused to focus enough to read any more emotion into the girl's eyes.

"What's taking so long?" Reiichi sniveled, "Are you going to beat the sinner or not? God has no place for people like her."

With his final statement, he charged, throwing a punch that surely broke at least one rib and sent his victim's head into the wall for the final time, before she blacked out.

Kimora scowled at the fake carrot top, huffing off with her friend Hakumi following into her hurried footsteps.

_Thud... Thud... Thud..._

* * *

"Where. Are. They?" Rukia growled, eyes burning anger and confusion through the incomplete circle.

Ichigo had given up trying to placate his girlfriend, instead taking comfort hiding behind Ishida. The Quincy would make a good shield if nothing else.

"There's still ten minutes left Rukia-san…" Orihime mumbled out, glancing up with a scared expression on her beautiful features.

Rukia sighed and collapsed onto the grass, Ichigo instantly crawled over to wrap his arms around his fuming girlfriend, running his fingers softly through her hair.

"You worry too much. Maybe they forgot it was Friday, or had a lab report due. You know how much of a procrastinator she is. Stop fussing over them like an old grandma, and relax."

Ichigo closed his eyes and leaned back onto the soft mossy carpet, completely missing the twitch in Rukia's eyebrow or the devilish gleam in her eye. She abruptly stood, reaching over for her Calculus book which laid forgotten in her previous attack.

"A grandma, eh?" She raised the book over her head; dropping in right between Ichigo's spread legs.

A howl of pain could be heard through the courtyard, as all heads turned to scour underneath the reserved tree, where a nearly crying Ichigo lay clutching his package, and an amused Quincy was trying as hard as possible not to snicker.

* * *

_Thud. Thud. Thud._

Almost there. She could tell she had entered a different housing district, close to the bus stop. The crumbled exterior of the houses seemed to guide the way, each house in a worsened condition then the one previously before it. She had to make it. She couldn't afford to be late. Not this time.

She turned down a street to run directly into a familiar face.

"What are you doing-?"

"Where is she?"

The girl's eyes opened widely as a new thought dawned on her.

"Oh my god. He wouldn't… he wouldn't…"

"WHERE?"

"You turned a wrong way, follow the stop sign…"

At the completion of her directions the girl stopped her with a single hand,

"Hurry, she needs you."

_Thud! Thud! Thud._

* * *

_Smack._

No response.

The orange haired youth growled bestially, seemingly from his throat.

"Stupid fucking sinning dyke bitch. You cost me a good lay," he kicked her unconscious body.

No response.

"Fucking wake up!" He snarled, grabbing at her grimy shirt to lift her off the ground. The weakened material gave way, however, ripping near the seams of her buttons. Reiichi got a full view of her chest, drooling as his pants tightened as the sight.

"Since you cost me some ass, looks like I'll be taking my payment," he whispered sadistically.

"Go watch the alleyway!" He shouted out to his companions, who moved to do as he pleased.

The carrot top quickly undid his belt, pushing his pants down and clambering over her. He ripped her shirt open further as he began to roughly grope Chizuru's developed flesh.

"Wake up, bitch."

He pulled her bruised face upwards, kissing her brutally while he grinded his growing erection into her stomach.

Chizuru's eyes fluttered open at the violent pain.

"What... where?"

Reiichi growled, smacking her viscously.

He bent down to lower his head next to her ear.

"You should feel honored, slut. I'm about to make you a real woman. And maybe you'll stop living a life of sin, once you enjoy this."

With that he bit her the shell of her ear harshly, and as the words settled into her brain and her fuzzy mind could grasp at the implications, she began to fight back.

Knowing this would happen, the orange haired wannabe pinned her arms above her head with one of his hands, the other stopping at her chest to painfully fondle again, before reaching down to pull at her skirt.

Chizuru panicked, not wanting to be violated by such a disgusting excuse for a human being. She had her dignity and her virginity on the line.

Remembering one of the holds Tatsuki had taught her, she struggled and got her hands free, punching Reiichi with as much strength as she had left. Limping to her feet, she started to run away, forgetting her skirt had been pulled down to her knees.

Reiichi tackled her, his manhood now grinding into her bruised ass as he hissed into her ear.

"Don't run bitch, you know you want it. Every girl wants to be satisfied by a man like me."

He slammed her head into the concrete violently, her mind clouding and sinking into the semi darkness. A single tear slid down her gravel-encrusted face, as her body went limp and her will broke.

* * *

_Thud. Thud. Scoff._

She turned down the alleyway, seeing a mop of orange hair bent over an unconscious mop of darkened hair before her view was blocked by several glaring cronies. Noticing who she was, nearly all of them fled the scene, not knowing their picture was already burned into her memory.

The single boy remaining looked up at her defiantly. He went to move his lips to talk, but found himself on the ground, nursing an arm searing with white hot pain. The bitch had broken his arm with one throw. He did not get up.

Tatsuki looked down at Reiichi, noticing for the first time that Chizuru was still awake. A deep fury from within boiled forth, running through her veins and into her blood stream.

She had never been this angry before.

Her face set into a deeper scowl at the look of pleasure on the fake orange haired boys face, as his fingers slid down the one last protection the girl had left: her underwear.

She growled, so roughly her mind couldn't perceive where it had come from.

And then she was on him, puling him off her Chizuru. She slammed Reiichi into the wall, viciously enough to bruise his back if nothing more. Swift, deft punches was thrown to his solar plexus and ribs over and over.

Her mind wasn't there though, Tatsuki was flying on sheer autopilot.

She heard a rib break with a sickening crunch.

It brought forth a delighted smile to Tatsuki's twisted face.

She threw him again, this time onto the ground. Lunging on top of him, she continued to pound her bloodied knuckles into his face, her mortifying grin widening even further as his nose snapped and sent a spray of fresh blood across her hands.

She would make him pay. She would kill him.

The thought came crystal clear into her mind, as she relished the warm feeling of his blood on her hands.

He would pay. He would suffer. He would pay. Then, he would die.

She could smell the fear washing off of him, his eyes widened immensely. It seemed as if he knew, if he could read her frenzied thoughts.

"Tatsuki, stop," Chizuru whispered out weakly, crawling over to wear her friend was.

"Tatsuki, stop, before you kill him…" More tears journeyed down the redhead's face, as she reached out to grab for Tatsuki's arm. The karate champ stopped mid punch, seemingly remembering who she was and where she was.

"Are you okay?" she asked, voice soft with concern.

Chizuru looked away with a blush, trying to cover her nearly naked figure. Tatsuki immediately pulled off her jacket and held it out to the girl, who took it gingerly. She thanked whatever god was left out there that Tatsuki was a good deal taller then her, for the jacket reached down to nearly mid thigh.

Attempting to stand, her legs gave out and she cried out with pain, leaning up again the wall. Tatsuki gently approached her, pulling the beaten girl up against her. Looking up with confused eyes, Chizuru could nearly feel the compassion and worry in the taller girl's eyes.

"Chizu-chan…"

Tatsuki gently slid her fingers under the younger girl's chin, leaning down to caress the hurt girl's lips with her own.

Shocked, Chizuru closed her eyes and leaned forward, eager to taste the karate champion's soft mouth. Tatsuki let her arm wrap itself carefully around the shorter girl's body, enjoying the spine tingling shockwaves of pleasure racing through her. Chizuru opened her mouth slightly, begging for Tatsuki's tongue to invade, which it did shortly after, ravaging her delicious mouth completely. A breathy moan left Chizuru's lips after Tatsuki pulled away, content with the exploration of the softer girl's mouth she had accomplished today.

Tatsuki picked Chizuru up wordlessly, carrying her bridle-style back to the raven's nearby apartment.

* * *

Well, thoughts? I will try to update more, new quarter starts this week though, so I can't promise anything. I will try to promise something before the month's over though. This fic seems at least haflway done in my eyes, maybe a bit more.

I hope you're still there my faithful readers

As always

With love

-Dak


	7. Long Way Home

Important A/N at the end!

xxxxxxxxx

The movement of images assaulted her vision, making the battered red hair recoil and shut her eyes. Where was she? Why? Her mind was set into a frenzied whirlpool, sucking and sloshing people and thoughts into it's watery distortion.

Where was Tatsuki? Reiichi? She shuddered as the previous events replayed in her mind. Maybe she didn't want to know where Reiichi-teme was just now.

Chizuru knew the Earth rotated, but she was pretty sure even in her distorted reality that she shouldn't be able to feel it. Shifting her gaze downwards, the ugly streaks of gray concrete glared back up at her. Deciding to stop fighting the gravity pulling onto her lids, she wordlessly succumbed to sleep once again.

xxxxxxxxxxx

Tatsuki peered around her.

_No... Not now._

This couldn't be happening now of all times.

The karate champ slowed her pace, discreetly stopping to settle Chizuru down delicately onto the cleanest park bench available. Bringing her left foot up to the edge of the bench, she casually reached down to fix the already perfect knot tied on her shoe.

" There's no point in hiding," She remarked over her left shoulder into the dimly lit alleyway. Three of the students who had been watching guard hastily walked foward, scrambling to find some sort of formation.

"Cocky bitch. Just 'cause you are good at those fancy gym dances don't mean we can't kick yo' fancy ass."

Tatsuki chuckled lightly, hazel eyes hardening into amber slabs.

"Coming from the reliant young men who ran away like little girls earlier?"

The leader who had spoken before rushed forward, throwing a punch at Tatsuki's exposed side with a muted snarl. Expecting the ameteurish lack of control, the raven swept her right left up, bracing all her weight on her half resting leg. It struck the goon on the side of his greasy head, throwing him face first onto the gravel filled concrete. He groaned obscenities Tatsuki decided to ignore and did not get up.

Seeming to possess more tact then their "leader", the remaining two rushed from different sides, hoping to catch the polished fighter at a major disadvantage. Throwing the rest of her momentum away from her planted limb, Tatsuki executed a perfect back flip, landing behind one of the rushers who blinked around with a confused frown on his face. Taking control of her situation, Tatsuki chopped the back of his neck, making sure to pinpoint a pressure point which would render him unconscious long enough for her escape.

Letting him fall to the ground without any extra harm, she missed the sucker punch traveling swiftly towards her face. It connects with a harsh thud, causing a growl to escape Tatsuki's lips as she teetered on her balance. She swiftly caught the next punch launched towards her, grabbing the arm with her free hand and twisting it at an awkward angle. The karate master viciously drove her shin into his exposed back, causing more pressure to crack his drawn arm which she had refused to slacken grip on.

"You fucking bitch," he gasped, wincing in pain as Tatsuki put more strain onto his arm,

"I don't know who you think you are, but Reiichi-senpai has connections with strong people in the dojo and... ahh!"

A cheerful grin slipped onto Tatsuki's face as she broke one of her assailant's fingers.

"You mean _my_ dojo?"

Her captive's eyes widened considerably at the dangerous dip in her voice as Tatsuki's grin streched. She quickly hit a more violent pressure point, assuring pain and stiff limbs when he woke up later tonight.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Chizuru whined in protest. Why was her pillow moving at a faster rate?

Oh well.

She snuggled further into the running object, feeling the wind played lightly with the wisps of hair that rested on her slightly dirty face. The cold felt good against her bruising, she realized.

Pillows are nice, she mused, especially ones who generate wind to dance on her face.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Soft. Everything around her was so soft and comforting. The air seemed warm and comforting, out of place for her apartment which contained no heating. At least, not to her room. Any logical argument to wake up was melted by the warmth and protection the mattress seemed to offer. Chizuru snuggled further into the comforter wrapped around her, sighing softly in the familiar scent of...

Tatsuki.

The red head blinked twice before registering what her mind had just whispered. With a start the traumatized girl shot out of the silken haven, eyes scanning for the girl to match the scent. Blinking again, and cursing the grogginess embedded in her eyes, her aching head swung back and forth in a somewhat desperate search. Momentum propelling her foward, Chizuru braced herself for the inevitable fall with the floor.

_It seems like I just can't catch a break today._

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

_For the love of God._

Tatsuki bolted from her chair, amused smile which has settled onto her face sliding off to be replaced by frustration. Could this girl not go five waking minutes without hurting herself? The raven muttered under her breath, catching Chizuru in her arms before the clumsy girl could hit the floor.

"It's almost as if you want to get hurt."

Chizuru scowled, eyes heavy with embarrassment and anger.

"You're much more soft then the floor Jock-chan"

Chizuru mumbled before drifting off into another round of drool worthy sleep. Tatsuki grinned again, carefully and slowly laying the sleeping girl back onto the mattress of her bed. She stood absolutely still, peering down at the innocent face beneath her. Chizuru without her gaurd up was surely a sight to be seen. The hand anchoring her on the bed lifted slightly, moving to brush a rogue strand of reddish hair. Tatsuki stopped mid movement, hearing a slight intake of breathe and shiver. Silently berating herself, the raven moved to take the injured girl out of her careful grip, pulling back ever so slightly. She was dismayed to feel arms shoot out as Chizuru subconsciously tried to pull her closer. This should be fun.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Chizuru had never felt so warm before; warm and safe. She was floating on a sea, but the sea did not seem to be made of water. Reaching down, Chizuru cupped her palm, sliding it into the milky substance. Pulling her hand above water level, she was surprised to see just what she was floating in. In her palm were strings of words, thick and weighed down by rage and ignorance. These words were colored a deep red, the color of dried blood she knew all too well. Occasionally, a thin streak of white would catch the edge of her eye, a small flicker of hope in the dense hatred surrounding her.

She looked down at the name of her handy boat. The boat seemed weathered, as if it had braved through a thousand storms. A once golden name plate announced itsself on the side of the craft, fading and cracked at certain points. Black paint was peeling and numerous letters seemed to be missing, presenting an incomplete title:

S LF STM

Chizuru reached out to rub the tarnished plate, hoping to somehow see what had once been. She frowned slightly as the letters did not become visible. Turning her attention back to the sea of red, she reached overboard to pick out another hurtful phrase to view, only to feel her center of gravity shift. Chizuru plunged headfirst into the ocean of discouragement, wondering how meaningless text could be so cold and piercing to her flesh. Her lungs expanded, expecting oxygen, to only be plunged further into the mass, choking and spluttering on nothingness. Her mind spun at a dizzy pace, panicking and thrashing into the icy prison.

She needed air. She needed freedom! Her arms felt sore, as if she had struggled one too many times. Her legs were getting tired. Her kicking became less frenzied. The frigid hate devoured her. Chizuru was unable to suppress her shiver.

And then, a flash of white in the sea of discarded blood. The white strand wrapped around the sufering girl, exuding a gentle warmness that seemed unknown at this point. Chizuru clung to it, marveling at the strength of the bright text as it lifted her out of the sea and back into her boat. She felt the light try to pull from her clutching hold. An instinct told her to hold tighter; she did. But as the warmth carressed her face Chizuru smiled in understanding, releasing the savior glow to swim back through the current which carried her.

Chizuru peered over the boat's side once more, grinning at the brightly at the restored title. Falling back into the middle of the boat, the young girl closed her eyes in contentment, feeling the warmth which had saved her lurking in the far off distance. She knew that light probably wouldn't be there in the future, but this small relief of pressure was all she could really ask for: just enough time to compose herself for the real world once again.

xxxxxxxx

I would sincerely apologize for the sporadic updates, but I really can't help it and you guys are probably sick of seeing them anyway. Life as a high school student with two younger siblings and friends with a passion for drama making makes promising you guys updates pointless.

I refuse to abandon my stories however, and although I owe my Maple Fic readers an update before you guys, this story has a wider fan base and it seems like more violent. I've been in a violent mood :3.

As a petty excuse, my computer has been broken for nearly a month, making it hard to find decent internet access... yeah, I know... lame but true.

I know this chapter seems to lack plot development but there is some in there.. somewhere. I will get to the explanations soon, as well as repercussions and reactions and ALL that fun stuff.

For you all my readers, I ask a big question. Would you or would you not prefer for this fic to have "mature" content. I am not particularly fond of lemons, and if you say yes it won't be for awhile. It would also probably draw out the story longer until I feel comfortable writing it.

So please vote in your reviews.. I might put up a poll on my page. Input is going to be a big factor whether the story shifts from "T" to "M".


	8. Friends

Tatsuki blinked slowly, taking in the unfamiliar setting in which she had fallen asleep. A light snoring seemed to be coming from above her as the raven-haired girl stretched slowly, back sore from her brief nap on the unforgiving floor. Getting to her feet unsteadily, the karate captain looked down at the girl she had saved hours before.

Chizuru looked, for lack of a better adjective, peaceful. Sure, her face was streaked with grim, apparel beyond stitching help, and the bruises and scrapes she would sport were unlikely to be classified as pretty, but under all of the wear and tear of the day, the older girl's facial features seemed to soften with sleep. Tatsuki perched upon the soft chair she had sat on earlier, contemplating what to do next as she studied the shorter girl's expression.

She needed to get home, shower and pass out. The ache from a long day had set deep into Tatsuki's bones. But what about the redhead in front of her?

The cuts would need to be disinfected, and she would need to wash up with caution. The worry and drama of the day seemed gone in the sleeping girl's serene state; Tatsuki padded over to the bed and shook her gently.

"Chizuru... Chizuru-chan wake up."

Eyelids fluttered before a low grumbling sound erupted from her chest; Tatsuki's grin took on a Cheshire-like appearance.

"Oh Chizu-chan," she called out, sickly sweet, "time to wake up."

More mumbling was the muted reply.

Tatsuki slowly slid off the pouting girl's socks and shoes, reaching up for what remained of her shirt.

"If you don't get up," the grin threatened to split her face, "I'll have to shower you myself."

With a face as scarlet as her hair, Chizuru shot up from the bed, body aching in disapproval at the action, and jumped to the opposite side of the bed.

"Do you need any help?"

"It's not anything I haven't done before, Jock-chan."

Tatsuki's eyes cut sharply over to her; The injured girl winced at her major slip-up.

"How many times? How close has he gotten?"

The taller girl strode across the room in a series of quick paces until she was face to face with Chizuru.

"It isn't important."

"Of course it's important. No one is going to treat my friends like-"

"Since when were we friends?" was the quiet reply.

Tatsuki merely stared at her before turning, making her way to the bathroom and violently throwing open the door.

"Bathroom. I'll go call you a cab Chizuru-san." Her tone was cold and biting, matching the stiff posture and glassy eyes her appearance had taken. Chizuru silently limped into the dimly lit room, flipping on the switch as she pushed the door back towards closed.

Tatsuki grit her teeth and sit down, frustration clouding her mind. Chizuru had posed a reasonable question. Where the two truly friends? She had thought so. Besides the agitated blows thrown at Chizuru for her lewd advances at Orihime, Tatsuki thought they had been getting on remarkably well for the past two months. It was true, the subject matter they had talked about was mostly superficial, but they two enjoyed one another's company, and were never hostile or bitter.

The young girl sighed, running her hands through her spiky, jagged locks. She was not stupid, Tatsuki knew and heard of the rumors of Ichigo's apparent "circle". They were seen as untouchable and snobbish; the elite social group of the school who rarely associated with anyone else. But this was hardly the case.

Rukia, Ichigo, Chad, Ishida and even Orihime had been hiding something from her, and she knew that as well. They were the real group, confidants within each other. The secret lingered in the air whenever Tatsuki would unknowingly walk into a room or private conversation. They were all keeping something from her, because she could not help, or perhaps it was too big of a concept to be within her grasp. Tatsuki had no idea to know what or why or how. All she knew was that she was the only one out of the loop her closest friends seemed to be connected by.

Not that Tatsuki judged them. They were her friends, and she would stand by the decision to keep her ignorant, no matter how much it bothered her. But what did that leave her with?

"Am I a selfish person?" she asked the back of a karate trophy, cracking her knuckles in a subconscious method of thinking.

She would like to think the answer was no. So wasn't she allowed to make new friends, to treat as equals, free from the secrets and gossip-poisioning circles which surrounded her?

Chizuru wouldn't use her for status or benefits, she knew that. But she also knew there was something missing from the girl, something that remained deep beneath the cheery exterior that was Honsho Chizuru. It was whether or not she wanted to find out what that was.

Tatsuki stared at her own bathroom door. As strong as the red-haired girl was, Tatsuki could still hear the stifled sobs of pain leaking under the doors. She wanted answers; she wanted to help her new friend.

_Friend_, she thought firmly, _Chizuru is my friend_. And with that she set down the phone in her hand and eased open the bathroom door.

--

It burned, but then again it always burned. An exasperated sigh escaped Chizuru's slightly cracked lips as she felt the sting rip through the wound on her head. The Ichigo-wannabe had done a number on her this time. And it would only get worse. It always got worse.

The injured girl hissed as she continued to scrub at her newest aquirements. She looked up through teary eyes as Tatsuki's prying eyes gently slid open the door.

_Tatsuki._

As if her being physically beaten enough, the mental anguish was nearly crippling. Chizuru was at a loss for words. Her mind replayed the intense kiss over and over again, before she passed out. It was too good to be true, she realized. Must have been part of that great imagination I possess.

But it seemed so real. The insistent pressure of soft, yet chapped, lips against her own. The submissive urging when a warm, thick tongue explored her mouth possessively. The soft scent of vanilla and sweat which should have been replusive but just seemed to make up... Tatsuki.

For one of the first times in her life, Chizuru had no idea what to do about a girl in her life. She had fessed up to her feelings earlier, with her hands-on technique learning it was hard to ignore. But the thought scared the life out of Chizuru.

Tatsuki was the only person she had connected with in years. Tatsuki made her feel carefree and young, and all of the other cheesy cliches that teenage girls were always talking about. Tatsuki made her happy, and made her yearn for more. Tatsuki was straight.

She had no idea what to say, and was content to sit in the awkward silence she had created with her savior.

--

It was maddening really. I wanted answers. I have never been the type of person to wait or beat around the bush.

"How many times has this happened?"

Silence. Chizuru seemed to be inspecting the roof for a teleportation device to save her.

"This didn't start this year, did it?"

More silence was the response.

Tatsuki lifted her hand to turn Chizuru's head back down, glaring at her intently. Tears remained on the edge of the battered girl's eyelashes, waiting to fall, as if she was expecting another blow to rain down upon her head. The karate champion flinched.

"Why didn't you tell me?" The last question came out as a whisper, painful enough to make Tatsuki turn her head while waiting for an answer.

"What would you have done?" Chizuru's words were drawn out and weak.

Tatsuki's face morphed into outrage.

"Do you honestly think we would have ignored what was going on?"

A heavy pause filled between the questioning.

"What if you had? What if Ichigo's Circle had been sanctioning the actions? What if you had encouraged him to-"

The last word was cut off by a hug.

"No one deserves that, Chizuru-chan. Nobody. Now why don't we start from the beginning?"

"But I-"

"The beginning."

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Ugh, it's been awhile, eh guys? Sorry for the late update D: I really really am. I'm also sorry with the short length and diologue heavy scenes, but it's time to flesh some stuff out. Who knows what next chapter will hold? Dun Dun Dun!

Hang in there guys, I'm not abandoning anything, Life's just getting in the way a bit.


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